Guest Ale Tasting Notes at JD Wetherspoon in January, February and March 2018
Guest Ale Tasting Notes at JD Wetherspoon in January, February and March 2018 are looking good. Rotating 60 Great British ales from across the UK, it brings me great delight in bringing each and every one of these to your attention. As usual, we always appreciate any feedback you may have about any brewery and / or ale featured on the list and if you have tried any of the following ales, we would love to hear where you tried them, i.e. the pub / village / town / city and / or county you have tried them at. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the real ales on the pumps at JD Wetherspoon in Janaury, February and March this year (2018). As usual, we have listed each ale in order of ABV (from lowest to highest alcohol content) to make each ale easy to find.
1. Caledonian Deuchars, 3.8% ABV, Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh, Established in 1869.
This brilliant-gold beer has an aromatic, smooth body, with hints of citrus, while a superb blend of malt and hop characters leads to a dry, delicate and refreshing hop flower finish. Hops: Aurora, Cascade, Fuggles, Savinjski Goldings. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
2. Phoenix Hopsack, 3.8% ABV, Phoenix Brewery, Manchester, Established in 1982.
This blond beer has a floral hop aroma, with a hoppy palate, moderate biterness and a dry finish, resulting in an easy-drinking, hoppy character. Hops: Brewer’s Gold, Goldings, Liberty, Mount Hood. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
3. Purity Pure Gold, 3.8% ABV, Purity Brewery, Warwickshire, Established in 2005.
This crisp, zesty golden ale is made with the finest hops, plus English Maris Otter and Cara Gold malts, creating an easy-drinking beer with a pleasing, dry, bitter finish. Hops: Goldings, Northern Brewer, Styrian Goldings.
4. Dark Star Hophead, 3.8% ABV, Dark Star Brewery, West Sussex, Established in 1993.
This pale-golden ale has a strong floral aroma, with elderflower notes from the Cascade hops leading to a clean-drinking and full-flavoured (yet extremely drinkable) character. Hops: Amarillo, Cascade. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
5. Oakham JHB, 3.8% ABV, Oakham Ales, Cambridgeshire, Established in 1993.
This golden-coloured beer is dominated by characteristic citrus notes, with the hops and fruit on the palete balanced by malt flavours, leading to a dry, hoppy finish, with fruit notes. Hops: Challenger, Mount Hood. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
6. Batemans Yella Belly Gold, 3.9% ABV, Batemans Brewery, West Yorkshire, Established in 1874.
This golden beer is brewed using lager malt and two American hop varieties, giving a beautiful citrus aroma and flavour, leading to a pleasing, dry, moreish character. Hops: Cascade, Chinook. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
6. Elland White Prussian, 3.9% ABV, Elland Brewery, Lincolnshire, Established in 2002.
This straw-coloured beer has a floral, spice and citrus aroma, leading to a fruity flavour and a dry, crisp and refreshing character. Hops: Herkules, Mittelfrüh, Perle. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Oats (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
7. Butcombe Original, 4.0% ABV, Butcombe Brewery, Somerset, Established in 1978.
This classic, amber-coloured bitter has a malty, hoppy aroma, with a pronounced bitterness in the flavour delivering a clean taste, leading to a refreshing, dry and distinctive finish. Hops: The brewery says that it;s a secret blend of English varieties. Allergens: Barley (Gluten, Wheat (Gluten).
8. Conwy Scrum Down, 4.0% ABV, Conwy Brewery, Conwy, Established in 2003.
This golden brown beer has a full, hoppy, floral aroma, followed by a full flavour in which sweet malt notes are predominant, balanced by a soft bitterness in the finish. Hops: First Gold, Mount Hood.
9. Truman’s Runner, 4.0% ABV, Truman’s Brewery, London, Established 2013.
This chesnut-brown beer has a spicy, fruity aroma, with a smooth bitterness and hints of chocolate and orange, resulting in a full (yet easy-drinking) character. Hops: Fuggles, Goldings, Styrian Goldings. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Rye (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
10. Caledonian Edinburgh Castle, 4.1% ABV, Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh, Established in 1869.
This ruby-coloured beer is a classic example of the 80/ – style, with malty and fruity aromas leading to a satisfying, creamy, bittersweet flavoured and a mellow, dry finish. Hops: Goldings, WGV. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
11. Charles Wells Bombardier, 4.1% ABV, Charles Wells Brewery, Bedfordshire, Established 1876.
This distinctive, classic English bitter has a burnished copper colour, with a tempting aroma of peppery hops and rasins, leading to a palate dominated by dark fruit, juicy malt and tangy hops. Hops: Challenger, Fuggles. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
12. Titanic Black Ice, 4.1% ABV, Titanic Brewery, Staffordshire, Established in 1985.
This is a truly sumptuous, dark winter warmer, with an inviting aroma, sufficiently well hopped to providea balance to the underlying fruit and malt notes. Hops: Cascade, Herkules. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Rye (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
13. Dorest Jurassic, 4.2% ABV, Dorest Brewery, Dorest, Established in 1994.
This pal golden medium-bodiedbitter is smooth in flavour, with almond and citrus overtones, plus a clean-tasting, refreshing palate which develops into a lasting, bitter finish. Hops: Challenger, Mount Hood. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
14. JW Lees Game On, 4.2% ABV, JW Lees Brewery, Manchester, Established in 1828.
This auburn-coloured ale is brewed using the finest English malt and hops, resulting in a fine, enticing hop aroma and a moreish flavour, with a pleasing crisp character. Hops: Pilgrim. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
15.Peerless Lottie Dod, 4.2% ABV, Peerless Brewery, Merseyside, Established in 2009.
This amber-coloured beer is named after the Wirral-born athlete in the Guiness World Records as the most versatile athlete ever. It has an easy-drinking character, with a moderate bitterness, leading to a lingering hop finish. Admiral, Cascade, Columbus, East Kent Goldings.
16. Brains SA, 4.2% ABV, Brains Brewery, Cardiff, Established in 1882.
This copper-coloured beer has hints of spirit in the inviting aroma, leading to a fine balance of nutty richness from the malt and a satisfying dryness imparted by the blend of hops. Hops: Challenger, Fuggles, Goldings. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
17. Shepherd Neame Spitfire, 4.2% ABV, Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham, Kent, Established in 1698.
This auburn-coloured beer is brewed with the finest Kentish hops, resulting in a solid hop aroma, leading to hints of marmalade, pepper and fruit, balanced by a mellow malt character. Hops: Challenger, First Gold, Goldings, Target. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
18. Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold 4.2% ABV, Banks Brewery, West Midlands, Established in 1890.
This golden beer contains generous hop notes and a mouth-watering flavour from the malt and wheat combing to deliver a well-balanced character and citrus hop kick in the finish. Hops: Citra, Nelson, Sauvin, Pilgrim, Summit. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
19. Brewester’s Hop A Doodle Doo, Brewester’s Brewery, Lincolnshire, Established in 1998.
This copper-coloured ale has a rich malt and citrus hop aroma, leading to a full-bodied, hoppy flavour, with light roasted notes and a satisfying, zest finish. Hops: Cascade, Centennial, Fuggles. Allergens: Barley (Gluten).
20. Quantock Wills Neck, 4.3% ABV, Quantock Brewery, Somerset, Established 2008.
This golden beer has a rich malt taste, with late-hopping providing fruit aromas and flavours, resulting in a refreshing in a refreshing and drinkable beer. Voted SIBA’s Supreme National Champion, in 2013. Hops: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
21. Rooster’s Yankee, 4.3% ABV, Rooster’s Brewery, North Yorkshire, Established 1993.
This modern classic is a light, easy drinking bitter, showcasing the floral and citrus fruit aromas of its Cascade hops, projected against a backdrop of soft Yorkshire water and golden promise pale malt. Hops: Cascade. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
22. Summerskills Tamar, 4.3% ABV, Summerskills Brewery, Devon, Established in 1990.
This deep amber ale has a full Goldings hop aroma and nutty flavour, with plenty of fruit , while the malt flavours combine with the blend of hops to supply a refreshing finish. Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
23. Cairngorm Black Gold, 4.4% ABV, Cairngorm Brewery, Highlands, Established in 1997.
This dark Scottishstout has won many awards, including CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Scotland, in 2015/16. Its smooth, full-bodied flavour has a subtle bitterness, giving way to sweetness and underlying roasted barley hints in the finish. Hops: Challenger, Fuggles. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten), Milk products.
24. Loddon Ferryman’s Gold, 4.4% ABV, Loddon Brewery, Oxfordshire, Established in 2002.
This popular golden, smooth-bodied ale has a pleasing zesty aroma and surprisingly full character and depth of flavour which continues through to the crisp, lasting finish. Bobek, Brewer’s Gold, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
25. Oakham Scarlet Macaw, 4.4% ABV, Oakham Brewery, Vambridgeshire, Established in 1993.
This amber-coloured beer has gooseberry and peach aromas on the nose, developing into gooseberry and fruit flavours, before the intense bitterness in its lasting finish. Hops: Amarillo, Summit. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
26. Vale Black Beauty Porter, 4.4% ABV, Vale Brewery, Buckinghamshire, Established in 1995.
This award winning black porter has an intense malt aroma, with its combination of dark grains and subtle hop notes creating a biscuity, fruit cake flavour, leading to a notable toasted malt finish. Hops: Fuggles, Goldings, Willamette. Allergens: Barley (Gluten), Wheat (Gluten).
